LOS ANGELES LE$$ONS

So, merrily i blog along...and this weekend I spent ($$) in LA at in the Fabric district. Three students and myself visited fabric stores in downtown LA. Unfortunately I took no photos but I will attempt to re-create the trip verbally. First we headed to Mood Fabrics on West Pico ( see links at side bar ). The prices are high ( average $14 to $45 a yard ), but the selection is stupendous and the fabrics are gorgeous. I bought 3 yards of a knit at $8 per yard and a student fell in love with a sheer navy blue silk chiffon for $18 a yard and bought 1 and 1/4 yards. Unfortunately they were out of their super cool canvas bags:(
Next stop was the Scholarship store at Fashion Institute of Design ( FIDM ) at 9th and Grand. You never know what you will find in their very small fabric section, but it is $1 a yard and that's worth checking out!! I bought a GREAT black & white tweed and a brown mini polka dot. The silk girl bought 3 yards of another sheer and other student bought 3 yards of a knit. The best buy was a bejeweled neck piece with at least a dozen stitched on jewels for 50 cents!! Each jewel would cost that much at a jewelry supply. Also, I learnt something VERY important and that is that parking on Saturdays is FREE in the FIDM underground parking ( I learnt this after I had put about $5 in a meter ).
After FIDM we drove the couple blocks to the fabric district on Maple and 9th. We went straight to Michael Levines on Maple and I bought leather scraps for some gloves I hope to make, but the students needed home dec fabric so I told them to go across the street to the Michael Levine home dec store. I was very nervous when I crossed the street and could not find them in the store. I noticed there was another door with signage stating fabric sale upstairs. Upstairs I found my students AND a room FULL of boxes of every kind on fabric for $2 a pound! Yes, the fabric was sold by weight! Two of the students purchased fabric and must have gotten 5 yards for $2 ( I think you had to buy a pound at least ). We then went downstairs to the regular store where two of the students purchased the fabric for their first project.
And the day was over. We were all exhausted and ready to head home behind the orange curtain. But I learnt two important things that day;#1 free parking at FIDM and #2 a fabric store that sells by the pound! I can't wait to go back to LA:)